The Do's and Don'ts of Wedding Bouquet Preservation

Americans spend more on weddings than any other country. Couples spent $29,000 on a wedding in 2019 compared to the next highest, Spain, which spent $23,400. And that number in the U.S. rose to $29,195 in 2022.

Flowers make up at least 10% of every wedding budget. Your wedding day blooms are essential to creating a beautiful space on the day of the wedding and in the photos that capture each moment. But to keep a piece of this investment, consider preserving your bridal bouquet. It maintains their beauty and turns them into a piece of art for a lifetime.

Learning how and when to preserve your bridal bouquet is key. Read on to learn the do's and don'ts of preserving your wedding bouquet.

Don't Forget to Prepare Your Flowers

Making sure your bridal bouquet is primed for preservation starts as soon as you receive it. Don't lay the flowers down on any surface as this can crush and bruise the blooms. Don’t toss your bridal bouquet, but rather ask your florist to create a smaller bouquet for tossing.

Put the flowers in a cool, safe spot during the reception and keep them out of direct sunlight. Cut 2-3 cm off the stems and keep them in a vase. Make sure they're hydrated but don't spray the heads with water.

Hire An Expert 

Book an appointment at least 4-6 months before your wedding with a bouquet preservation company. They will walk you through the steps of bouquet preservation and cost involved. The fresher the materials, the better the final display will look.

Certain methods of preserving flowers take longer than others. So allow 4-6 weeks for the process to unfold. 

Do Mail Them Carefully

If using a company that requires the bouquet be shipped, send your wedding bouquet off to be preserved via drop-off or express post. Make sure that they'll arrive 1-3 days after the wedding.

At least 10% of plants get damaged from weather or rough transit. Protect your bouquet by preparing it before sending it off.

-Use a box that's only slightly bigger than the bouquet. Remove any decorative ribbons you want to keep.

-Wrap the stems in a wet paper towel. Put a plastic bag over it, then tie it with an elastic band.

-Wrap the neck of the bouquet with butcher's paper to secure it. Put an ice pack inside the box to keep the flowers cool. Fill the box with packing peanuts or newspaper.

Do Choose the Right Method

Pressing flowers flattens the leaves and petals for framing. Freeze drying lowers their temperature and puts them in a high-pressure vacuum. Both remove the moisture as a way to help the flowers last.

You can hang your wedding bouquet to let it air-dry naturally. Hang each stem one by one and leave them in a dry area such as a closet for a week.

Preserving your bouquet with silica gel is inexpensive and simple. Using Epoxy resin is difficult but preserves the shape and color of a wedding bouquet.

Wax will only keep your flowers alive for approximately six months. The difference is that they'll look almost exactly like they did when you walked down the aisle with them. 

Once you've figured out how to make bouquets last, you have to decide how to display them. Popular options include:

• Pressed and framed
• Shadow box
• Phone cases
• Ring holders
• Coasters
• Earrings and necklaces 
• Orbs
• Resin blocks on wooden stands   

Do Ask Your Florist

Bouquet preservation is an art. You don't have to go it alone if you're not ready.

Call your florist to see what options they provide. If they can't preserve your flowers, they can recommend other professionals who can.

Do Find the Right Florist

Bouquet preservation lets you turn those expensive flowers that you loved for a night into a beautiful keepsake to treasure forever.

Care for them so they'll be ready after the wedding. Choose the right preservation method, deliver them carefully, and enlist the help of your florist.

Contact us at J. Morris Flowers today to discuss your dream wedding flowers.